Pickerington is a small city in central Ohio with a population of about 19,100. The city is a suburb of Columbus and shares residents of both Fairfield county and Franklin county. It takes residents approximately 20 to 25 minutes to drive from Pickerington to downtown Columbus with light traffic. If you've been browsing through Pickerington real estate, this guide is for you. This article will examine the family-oriented aspects of Pickerington, indoor and outdoor fitness options (such as hiking trails and parks in the area), and much, much more — so stay tuned!
Source: wikimedia.org
There are a few dedicated hiking trails that run through Pickerington, including the Alum Creek Greenway Trail, the Blacklick Creek Greenway Trail, and the more centrally-located Canal Winchester Trail System. The Canal Winchester trail runs along Groveport Rd., W. Waterloo St., and Thrush Dr., and it is approximately five miles long. The trail passes through historic Canal Winchester and the commercial areas of Pickerington. It also runs through the Bergstresser and Dietz Covered Bridge.
Pickerington also has a large number of indoor fitness options; there are over a dozen of them located within the city. The Pick Fit Performance Training & Massage Studio is the most centrally located fitness center, but there is also a CrossFit gym, a Planet Fitness, and the TITLE Boxing Club of Pickerington. Based on online reviews, Pickerington residents favor Ignite Health and Fitness, which currently offers memberships as low as $10.95 and even offers members several dance and aerobic classes, such as hip hop and cardio kickboxing.
Source: wikimedia.org
Pickerington has a few smaller parks within the city boundaries as well as one large park just outside the city limits. The Pickerington Ponds Metro Park may have Pickerington in its name, but it's technically located in Canal Winchester, which is a few minutes west of the city. Pickerington Ponds is a massive 1,608 acre park, and it got its namesake from being the site of a large wetland and pond. The park is also a nature reserve and popular bird watching spot; there are 260 known bird species that inhabit the area, and was named a "national treasure" by nature.org because of that fact. Red foxes, white-tailed deer, and beavers also inhabit Pickerington Ponds.
The Parks and Recreation Department of Pickerington offers residents and visitors a number of fun family-oriented activities. Here are some of the great classes and activities handled by the Pickerington Parks and Rec department:
Pickerington also has a large public swimming pool that's free for kids who are aged three and under and $8 for all other kids and adults. There are also season passes available for around $200. The public pool even has late hours — it's open until 8 p.m. The pool has a slide, a diving board, restrooms, picnic tables, lap lanes, and lounge chairs. The Parks and Recreation department also offers swimming lessons and special poolside events.
Here is a full list of the parks located in Pickerington.
Pickerington has eight elementary schools, three middle schools, two junior high schools and three high schools, so if you do have kids you can choose from a wide variety of schools. Pickerington Central High and Pickerington North High are both highly rated on GreatSchools.org, which is a website which rates schools based on the average test scores of students. Pickerington High School North has a rating of 8 out of 10, and both schools offer students a number of educational programs, sports, and after-school activities. According to the Department of Education, the food served in all of the high school cafeterias are USDA-approved to meet the nutritional requirements for a balanced meal. The department also ensures that school administrators follow the guidelines in the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, which is a mandate requiring that all children get the proper food and nutrition they need. The department also runs an optional summer meal program for teens who attend Pickerington Central or Pickerington North High School.
Source: wikimedia.org
Pickerington might be a small city in the country, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of fun things to do around the city. Residents are crazy about the Red Velvet Cafe, which is a coffee shop which serves the most-loved candy in Ohio (Buckeyes, of course), coffee and tea (including 'exotic' flavors), and a lineup of red velvet, chocolate, and white cupcakes. The Red Velvet Cafe currently has 5 out of 5 stars on Yelp and a slew of favorable reviews.
Residents also love Thai Paradise, which is a restaurant that serves an even mix of Chinese and Thai food as well as alcoholic beverages. Some of the restaurants' specialty dishes and appetizers include fried calamari, island chicken, pad Thai with broccoli, and a spicy eggplant dish.
If you don't mind a short drive east, Buckeye Lake a great place to go — and it's an attractive alternative to commuting all the way to Columbus. Buckeye Lake offers a laid-back yet fun atmosphere: it's a place you can go to relax, grab a bite to eat and drink, and shop around at one of the many boutiques by the lake. When you take a day trip to Buckeye Lake, you can rent a boat to cruise out around the lake, eat at one of the many restaurants surrounding the area, or sit by the water while you sip a margarita and sing karaoke. There are about a dozen different bars and restaurants around Buckeye Lake, and a number of them offer gorgeous waterfront dining and drinking. Papa Boo's, for example, offers waterfront dining (right on the lake), alcoholic beverages, and karaoke.
All things considered, if you're looking for Pickerington real estate and are considering moving to the area, you're in for a treat.
